Rural Report for Outback NT: Wednesday, July 3, 2013

NT carbon farm a complete waste of money: Scullion

Northern Territory senator Nigel Scullion says the Federal Government's investment into the purchase of Henbury Station, south of Alice Springs, was complete waste of money.

The property was purchased by R.M. Williams Agricultural Holdings two years ago with $9 million of Federal funding, to destock the station and farm carbon instead.

But last week, R.M. Williams Agricultural Holdings went into receivership, leaving the project in limbo.

Senator Scullion says there's been no return for taxpayers.

In a statement the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities says it's "monitoring developments and considering what it will mean for the long-term conservation management of the property"

Territory crabbers doing it tough after poor wet

Lucie Bell

The poor wet season has hit the Top End mud crab industry hard

Crabber Sherwood Thorbjornsen has been operating in the Territory for almost a decade and says the catch numbers are in the worst shape he's ever seen.

"There's no rain at the Gulf, it's been a shocking season. All our fishermen say 'How come we're not getting more money?', but Queensland is flooding the market."

Mr Thorbjornsen says there are about 20 weeks left in the season.

"I've said to all my guys as long as we make it to the end of the season, paying our bills, I'll be happy."